Moreover, skeptics generally welcome newcomers from different backgrounds who want to join the discussion, even if it's on the side that we should spend more time on pharma/harmful medical practices than CAM/quackery/antivax.
-
-
Again, there's a serious and thoughtful discussion to be had there. It's one I've taken part in many times.
1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes -
However, when someone condescendingly tells us that what we do is easy and worthless while pointedly refusing to construct a coherent argument for why they think that other than,“Taking on pharma is hard; what you do is trivially easy," well, we're human too. We won’t react well.
2 replies 0 retweets 6 likes -
Maybe they're right. Maybe what they do is harder. It's possible .However, just saying it doesn't make it so. They have to give us something resembling evidence and a coherent argument in order to get us to consider their viewpoint.
1 reply 0 retweets 4 likes -
It's even more problematic when, after being asked to do just that, to tell us what they think we're doing wrong and why and provide evidence they just keep repeating the same condescension. That's not constructive criticism. That's not helpful. That's just trolling.
1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes -
Again, deconstructing alt med involves the same sorts of knowledge and skills that pharma watchdogs use: Clinical trial design and statistics, knowledge of relevant science, knowledge of how clinical trial results are spun, etc., plus an additional skill, science communication.
1 reply 0 retweets 6 likes -
Replying to @gorskon @DrJenGunter and
And I wouldn't agree that what you're doing is easy Dr. Gorski- dealing with anti-vaxx harassment 24/7 as you so bravely have would be taxing on anyone. Its just that I can see Dr. Prasad's frustration that there aren't more people joining him in his equally worthy fight.
3 replies 0 retweets 3 likes -
Replying to @aribindi @DrJenGunter and
But there are! From our perspective, there are WAY more doctors countering pharma in various ways than there are countering alternative medicine and antivax. It's part of the reason we started
@ScienceBasedMed!2 replies 1 retweet 6 likes -
Moreover, countering pharma you can develop a very nice academic career, as our friend has., thus having the best of both worlds, doing good for society and for oneself. Not so countering alternative medicine.
@EdzardErnst is the only person I know who's pulled it off.1 reply 1 retweet 12 likes -
Indeed, given the infiltration of quackery into medicine in the form of "integrative medicine," it's far easier to get a decent academic career going involving promoting quackery than involving combatting it.
1 reply 3 retweets 8 likes
Also,, re: @EdzardErnst. Even though he pulled off a productive academic career skeptically studying alt med and CAM, he was under constant attack for it, including by powerful people like Prince Charles.
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.